Reduced-Calorie Filling Cream: Formula Optimization and Mechanical Characterization

Abstract

Filling creams are generally fat and sugar based; they are important components in different confectionary foods, in which they provide taste, texture and adhesion of the baked items. The objective of this research was to develop and optimize a reduced-calorie filling cream. The effect of the fat replacer system (a mixture of simplesse, microcrystalline cellulose and maltodextrin) and the fat substitution level (from 0 to 100 %) on filling cream properties was studied. A D-optimal mixture design with five components (water, margarine, simplesse, microcrystalline cellulose and maltodextrin) was chosen which resulted 25 formulations. The remaining ingredients, sugar, dextrose monohydrate and skimmed milk powder, were kept constant (55 % of the total mixture). Mechanical properties, water activity, density and color were used as response variables in the regression model built to determine the optimal levels of ingredients. The best formulation was chosen through the desirability function. Lubricated squeezing flow (LFS) experiments were performed to study the mechanical behaviors of reduced-calorie filling creams. LFS results showed that reduced-calorie filling creams behave as a pseudoplastic liquid or as a viscoelastic liquid or as a viscoelastic foam, depending on both fat replacer system and fat substitution level. Moreover mechanical properties are related to the spreading and consistency properties as perceived by the consumers. Quadratic models were used to optimize the response variables. The optimized formulation had 3.5 kcal/g, so it was possible to reduce the caloric content at least of 30 % with good results.